STORY BEHIND THE PLAQUE
Service Reflections of CDR Allen W. Miller, U.S. Navy (1967-2010)

My dad, who had served in the Army’s 100th Infantry as part of a mortar crew, serving in the southwestern region of Germany in 1944-45, suggested that if I had to go (I had received my draft notice in the fall of 1966), then anything would be better than the Army.

His reasoning was that it was better to die in a clean bunk than a dirt foxhole. Upon my return from my initial medical screening at Fort Knox, I knocked on the door of the only recruiter in town —the Navy.

I scored exceptionally well on my Navy entrance exams, so I had my choice of schools. Since my career choice was to become a Design draftsman, the Navy’s “Illustrators Draftsmen” seemed a good fit.

However, it was closed, so while in boot camp, my detailer assigned me to the Aviation field as a second choice. It was wide open at the time, so I was designated an AMHAA upon graduation and subsequently received orders to “A” school in Millington, TN.

I loved the Navy and the career field. I advanced to E-5 in 2 years and passed the E-6 exam at the end of my tour, but my wife and mother convinced me to leave the service after 4 years. That was 1971. Forty-nine years later, I still regret that decision, especially since I had been offered $ 8,000 to reenlist.

In 2009, I was recalled to active duty with the 2nd Marine Air Wing (FWD). I subsequently deployed to Iraq as the Joint Combat Assessment Team officer-in-charge (OIC), responsible for conducting real-time aircraft battle damage assessments in the field. During this tour, the 2MAW sent a team into the field to search for and determine the fate of Captain Scott Speicher, who had been Missing in Action since January 1991.

We found his remains, closed his story, and I supervised the final recovery of his aircraft for a comprehensive review to determine what threat profile caused him to crash.

Two stand out as my fondest memories: my time with HM-15 as the reserve component commander and my tour of duty with the USMC (2nd Marine Aircraft Wing) in Iraq.

I really don’t have a least fond; I always made the base out of every assignment.

I firmly believe that all my experiences impacted me personally in the most positive way.

If I were to choose just one, I would say that my time serving with hard-charging Marines in the desert of Iraq had the most impact on me.

At the ripe old age of 61, I passed all the Marine Corps requirements for deploying in combat, attained my USMC Tan belt in martial arts, earned my FMFQO insignia, and was able to keep up with their Heliborne QRF missions.

As for awards, medals, etc., my Fleet Marine Forces Qualified Officer insignia, my aircrew wings, and my two Meritorious Service Medals (MSMs) mean the most to me. I served up to the rank of E-6 and was then selected for commissioning as an ensign.

Being a Mustang Officer was always special. It enabled me to apply the leadership traits that I had acquired as a senior petty officer to a far larger realm of influence.

Graduating from the Naval War College in 2006 was extremely meaningful to me for several reasons. First, few Mustang officers get the opportunity, and second, achieving academic success in a most intense academic environment was awesome and extremely rewarding.

As for awards, medals, etc., my Fleet Marine Forces Qualified Officer insignia, my Aircrew Wings, and my two Meritorious Service Medals (MSMs) mean the most to me.

First, the FMFQO insignia: having missed the in-theater action during the Vietnam War and Desert Storm, being recalled to active duty in support of OIF and serving in a combat theater with the USMC was thrilling and a great capstone to a long military career.

Second, my first MSM was awarded due to my duty as the commanding officer for HM-15’s reserve component, a rare opportunity for a Mustang (LDO) officer.

Lastly, my second MSM was awarded by the commanding general of 2d MAW (FWD) for my service as the Joint Combat Assessment OIC in Iraq in support of OIF/OEF.

PO 1 Schreck (VT-26) saw something in me and encouraged me to prepare for advancement exams early. He also mentored me, which helped me achieve excellent performance marks and accelerated my promotion to E-5.

RADM Clay Fulcher encouraged me to apply for commissioning in the Navy’s LDO/CWOP program. Admiral Cotton influenced my career as a Junior Officer and then as a Senior Officer, serving as the Reserve Component CO for HM-15.

Captain Steve Richy, Bennet, Lizak, and McIntrye were all instrumental in guiding me to a very successful career.

Then there was General Walsh, who was my Marine Corps mentor in Iraq.

ADJ2 Ed McWilliams (VT-26): We went through Boot Camp together, and he was my best man years later. I lost touch with him.

AO2 Brock was a very good friend. I ran into him many years ago at NAS Dallas, TX. He was the AIMD maintenance chief, and I was a brand-new LT.

During a stint aboard the USS Lexington with VT-26 performing carrier qualifications, a nugget pilot released his tail hook while parked next to the edge of the flight deck, awaiting his turn to taxi forward. The hook dropped into the safety net along the edge. On the F9F-8 Cougar, the only way to stow the hook was to manually lift and push it back into the airplane. I had to climb down into a safety net, lift, and stow the hook.

At the time, it wasn’t funny, but afterward, we all had a good laugh – a dumb, inexperienced, nervous student pilot.

After my first active duty tour, I completed college, specializing in mechanical design engineering. I re-entered the Naval Reserves and served for 31 years. During this time, I was continuously employed by Schlumberger Co., McDonnell Douglas, and then the Boeing Company.

My civilian career was always in Electromechanical design, design engineering, and subsequently engineering management. My tour in Iraq as the JCAT (OIC) involved implementing design. Requiems gained through my civilian career, which I applied to aircraft battle damage assessments.

AUSN, ROA, VFW, NWC Alumni, NSNI Career advice, fellowship, and maintaining current events within the military.

From day one, the personal discipline I gained in Boot Camp, along with leadership and management skills, has served me well in both my civilian jobs and military career.

To all the young men and women entering the service today, exercise perseverance, seek out a seasoned mentor, follow his/her advice, work hard, make a few mistakes, learn from them, go forward, and pass on your newfound knowledge to your subordinates.

Be the best you can be for God, Country, and Family. And READ, READ books form the military/Historical list of influential books.

TWS is awesome in that it brings everything in one’s career to a central point. TWS, the possibility of re-establishing old friendships, is a reality.

So often, for most veterans, their career and experience are documented, if at all, in a hundred places. TWS provides a vehicle for veterans to think about their past service, look for, and then assemble all their memorabilia, pictures, etc., that paint a very nice picture of their service for them, their families, and future generations to enjoy.